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Icing Cloud Characterization Engineer Emily Timko


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A woman with long brown hair and dark brown eyes stands against metal stairs, smiling. She holds a railing with her left arm and her right arm down at her side. She's wearing a light beige blazer over a white shirt, blue jeans, and a brown belt.

“If I knew that I was going to get to where I’m at [today], I would have gone through it all over again. I would have went through changing my major. I would have gone through the divorce. I would have went through the heartbreak of thinking, ‘I’m not going to be what I wanted to be when I grow up.’ That’s OK.

“Back then, when I realized that I wasn’t going to be an on-air meteorologist, it was heartbreaking. But now, I’m all right with that. It’s been a bumpy ride for me, but in the end, it’s been the greatest thing.

“…I love to share the messy ride. It’s OK that you have bumps. It’s OK if there’s obstacles. You have your goals, but it’s OK if there’s hiccups. You can still be a mess and be successful.”

– Emily Timko, Icing Cloud Characterization Engineer, NASA’s Glenn Research Center

Image Credit: NASA/Quentin Schwinn
Interviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos

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